Canucks shed prospects gearing up for cup run

By Patrick King

March 11th, 2004

Patrick King

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As is thecase with every franchise looking towards a Stanley Cup championship, prospectshave the least safe position in the organization. This was very much the casefor prospects in the Vancouver Canucks organization prior to the March 9thtrade deadline.

The Canuckswere shopping around the league for more scoring help on the wing to complementDaniel and Henrik Sedin on the second line. The team did make a few tradesimproving their secondary scoring. The first trade saw the rights to unsignedprospect R.J. Umberger and Martin Grenier head to the New YorkRangers for Martin Rucinsky.

Umbergerwas the Canucks first round pick in the 2001 draft, 16th overall.The center played three years at Ohio State University and was in the runningfor the Hobey Baker in the NCAA last year. In 43 games, Umberger scored 26goals and had 27 assists for a total of 53 points last season. At the end ofthe year, Umberger had intentions in beginning his professional hockey careerin the Canucks organization but he was unable to come to terms with the team ona contract. He has sat out the entire season to this point hoping that he’deither be traded or receive the contract from the Canucks he was seeking. Hadhe not been traded, Umberger would have become an unrestricted free agent onJuly 1st and would have been able to sign with any team in the National HockeyLeague. Had he signed elsewhere, the Canucks would have received a compensatorypick in the second round of this year’s draft.

The23-year-old Grenier is joining his fifth NHL team. He was drafted by theColorado Avalanche in the second round (45th overall) in the 1999draft, then traded to the Canucks from the Phoenix Coyotes for Bryan Helmer onJuly 25, 2003. The blueliner spent the majority of the 2003-04 season in theAmerican Hockey League playing for the Manitoba Moose. In 38 games with theMoose, Grenier had five goals and four assists for nine points with a plus-6rating and 145 minutes in penalties. He also played in seven games for theCanucks this season and had one goal and was a plus-3.

Anotherdeal that saw a Canuck prospect head elsewhere was with the Montreal Canadiens.Vancouver acquired enforcer Sylvain Blouin for Rene Vydareny. The 22-year-old Vydareny had dropped on the team’sdefensive depth chart and his chances of making the team long term had been injeopardy. In 50 games with the Moose this season, Vydareny had two goals and 10assists for 12 points and was -6.

The Canucksmade two other trades prior to the deadline that decreased the picks they willhave in the upcoming draft. They acquired speedy winger Geoff Sanderson fromthe Columbus Blue Jackets for a third round pick in the 2004 draft and MarcBergevin from the Pittsburgh Penguins for a seventh round pick in the 2004draft.